JP2014149861A - Touch panel and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a touch panel capable of improving electric stability and touch sensitivity, and a method for manufacturing the same.SOLUTION: A touch panel according to the invention includes a substrate (110); a first electrode (10) formed on the substrate in a first direction and including a plurality of sensor parts and connection parts connecting the plurality of sensor parts; and a second electrode (20) formed in a second direction crossing the first direction while being insulated from the first electrode, and including a plurality of sensor parts and connection parts connecting the plurality of sensor parts. The sensor parts and the connection parts include transparent conductive materials, and the connection parts have resistance lower than resistance of the sensor parts in at least one of the first and second electrodes.

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel and a manufacturing method thereof.

  2. Description of the Related Art Recently, touch panels that input images displayed on a display device using various electronic products by touching an input device such as a finger or a stylus have been applied.

  Such touch panels are roughly classified into resistive touch panels and capacitive touch panels. The resistive film type touch panel detects the position by short-circuiting the electrodes by the pressure of the input device. When the finger touches the capacitive touch panel, the position is detected by sensing that the capacitance between the electrodes changes.

  Resistive touch panels may deteriorate in performance due to repeated use and may cause scratches. As a result, there is an increasing interest in capacitive touch panels that have excellent durability and long lifetime.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel that can improve electrical stability and touch sensitivity, and a method for manufacturing the touch panel.

  The touch panel according to the present invention includes a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate and formed in a first direction, including a plurality of sensor units, and a connecting unit that connects the plurality of sensor units, and the first electrode is insulated. However, the second electrode includes a plurality of sensor parts and a connecting part that connects the plurality of sensor parts, and is formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction. Here, the sensor part and the connection part include a transparent conductive material, and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has a resistance of the connection part smaller than a resistance of the sensor part.

  The touch panel according to the present invention includes a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate and formed in a first direction, including a plurality of sensor units, and a coupling unit coupling the plurality of sensor units, and the first electrode. A second electrode including a plurality of sensor portions and a connecting portion for connecting the plurality of sensor portions, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction while being insulated from each other. The connection part of at least one of the electrodes includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNT), nanowires, and conductive polymers.

  The touch panel manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a step of forming a plurality of first sensor portions and a plurality of second sensor portions with a transparent conductive material on a substrate, and printing the transparent conductive composition on the substrate. Forming a first connecting part for connecting the plurality of first sensor parts, forming an insulating layer including an insulating material on the first connecting part, and transparent conductive on the insulating layer. Forming a second connecting portion for connecting the plurality of second sensor portions with the composition.

  The touch panel manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a plurality of first sensor units, a plurality of second sensor units, and a first connection unit that connects the plurality of first sensor units with a transparent conductive material on a substrate. Forming a second insulating layer by printing an insulating material on the first connecting portion; and connecting the plurality of second sensor portions with a transparent conductive composition on the insulating layer. Forming a connecting portion.

  According to the touch panel according to the present invention, the electrical stability and the touch sensitivity can be improved by reducing the resistance of the first electrode and / or the second electrode by making the resistance of the connecting part smaller than the resistance of the sensor part. .

  According to the touch panel according to the present invention, the connecting portion includes nanowires or carbon nanotubes, and can have high optical characteristics and electrical characteristics. That is, the transparency and transparency of the touch panel can be increased and the resistance can be reduced.

  According to the method for manufacturing a touch panel according to the present invention, the connecting portion can be formed by a printing process to simplify the process. Here, the connection part of the first electrode, the insulating layer, and the connection part of the second electrode, which are sequentially formed, are all formed by a printing process, so that the process can be simplified to the maximum.

It is a top view of the touch panel according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing seen along the II-II line | wire of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the touchscreen according to 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the touchscreen according to 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the touchscreen according to 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the touchscreen according to 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the touchscreen according to 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the touchscreen according to 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the touchscreen according to 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the touchscreen according to 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the touchscreen according to 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  In describing the present invention, each layer (film), region, pattern, or structure is “on” or “under” the substrate, each layer (film), region, pad, or pattern. “On” and “under” indicate that “directly” or “indirectly” is formed. Includes all. In addition, the reference to the upper or lower of each layer will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the drawings, the thickness and size of each layer (film), region, pattern, or structure may be changed for convenience of description and clarity, and thus does not completely reflect the actual size.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, the touch panel according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the touch panel 100 according to the present embodiment includes a substrate 110, a first electrode 10 and a second electrode 20 formed on the substrate 110, and an intersection between the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20. And a protective member 120 for protecting the first electrode 10, the second electrode 20, the insulating layer 30, and the like.

  Here, the first electrode 10 is drawn to the lower end of the substrate 110 by the first wiring 40, and the second electrode 20 is also drawn to the lower end of the substrate 110 by the second wiring 50. A terminal portion (not shown) is formed on the first wiring 40 or the second wiring 50, and a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) or the like is connected to the terminal portion to connect an external circuit (not shown). ).

  In the drawings and description, the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 are all drawn to the lower end of the substrate 110, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Therefore, the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 can be drawn in opposite directions. Alternatively, the first electrode 10 may be drawn to the lower end of the substrate 110, a part of the second electrode 20 may be drawn to the left side of the substrate 110, and the rest of the second electrode 20 may be drawn to the right side. In addition, the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 can be drawn out with various structures that can be connected to an external circuit.

  The substrate 110, the first electrode 10, the second electrode 20, the insulating layer 30, and the first wiring 40 and the second wiring 50 will be described in more detail as follows.

  The substrate 110 is formed of various materials that can support the first electrode 10, the second electrode 20, the insulating layer 30, the first wiring 40, and the second wiring 50 formed thereon. For example, the substrate 110 may be formed of a glass substrate.

  The first electrode 10 includes a plurality of first sensor units 12 that sense whether an input device such as a finger is touched, and a first connection unit 14 that connects the plurality of first sensor units 12. The 1st connection part 14 connects the some 1st sensor part 12 to a 1st direction (X-axis direction of drawing), and the 1st electrode 10 is extended in a 1st direction.

  In a similar manner, the second electrode 20 includes a plurality of second sensor units 22 that sense whether an input device such as a finger is touched, and a second connection unit that connects the plurality of second sensor units 22. 24. The second connecting part 24 connects the plurality of second sensor parts 22 in a second direction (Y-axis direction in the drawing) intersecting the first direction, and the second electrode 20 extends in the second direction.

  The first sensor unit 12 and the second sensor unit 22, and the first connection unit 14 and the second connection unit 24 include a transparent conductive material so that electricity can flow without disturbing light transmission. be able to. Various materials such as indium tin oxide and indium zinc oxide can be used as the transparent conductive material.

  In the present embodiment, the resistances of the first connecting part 14 and the second connecting part 24 may be smaller than the resistances of the first sensor part 12 and the second sensor part 22. This is possible because the first connecting portion 14 and the second connecting portion 24 are formed by different methods in different steps from the first sensor portion 12 and the second sensor portion 22.

  For example, the first connecting part 14 and the second connecting part 24 may be made of a material having a lower resistance than the first sensor part 12 and the second sensor part 22, or the first connecting part 14 and the second connecting part 24 may be used as the first sensor. By forming it thicker than the portion 12 and the second sensor portion 22, the resistance can be lowered.

  The case where the constituent materials of the first connecting portion 14 and the second connecting portion 24 and the first sensor portion 12 and the second sensor portion 22 are made different from each other will be described in more detail as follows. The first sensor unit 12 and the second sensor unit 22 may include only a transparent conductive material and inevitable impurities. The first connection part 14 and the second connection part 24 may include at least one of a carbon nanotube (CNT), a nanowire, and a conductive polymer, together with the transparent conductive material. Alternatively, the first connection part 14 and the second connection part 24 may be a transparent conductive material including at least one of a carbon nanotube (CNT), a nanowire, and a conductive polymer. Such carbon nanotubes (CNT), nanowires, and conductive polymers can reduce the resistance of the first connection part 14 and the second connection part 24.

  The case where the thicknesses of the first connecting part 14 and the second connecting part 24 and the first sensor part 12 and the second sensor part 22 are made different will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. The first connection part 14 and the second connection part 24 may be formed thicker than the first sensor part 12 and the second sensor part 22 and have a low resistance.

  For example, the thickness of the first connection part 14 and the second connection part 24 may be 1.5 to 10 times the thickness of the first sensor part 12 and the second sensor part 22. In the drawing, the thickness (T2) of the second connecting portion 24 and the thickness (T1) of the second sensor portion 22 are illustrated, but the thickness of the first connecting portion 14 and the thickness of the first sensor portion 12 are also such. The rate can be met.

  When the ratio is less than 1.5 times, the role of reducing the resistance may not be smoothly performed. And when the said ratio exceeds 10 times, the touch panel 100 becomes thick, and there exists a problem that the amount of substances for manufacture of the 1st connection part 14 and the 2nd connection part 24 increases, and manufacturing cost increases. . If the manufacturing cost and the like are further considered, the ratio may be 1.5 to 5 times.

  According to the above description, the first connecting part 14 and the second connecting part 24 are all illustrated and described as having different resistances from the first sensor part 12 and the second sensor part 22, but the embodiment is limited to this. Is not to be done. Only the first connecting part 14 may have a smaller resistance than the first sensor part 12, or only the second connecting part 24 may have a smaller resistance than the second sensor part 22.

  In the drawings, the first sensor unit 12 and the second sensor unit 22 are illustrated as having a rhombus shape, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. Therefore, it can have various shapes such as a polygon such as a triangle and a quadrangle, a circle, and an ellipse.

  An insulating layer 30 is located between the first connecting portion 14 and the second connecting portion 24 at a portion where the first connecting portion 14 and the second connecting portion 24 intersect with each other, and the first connecting portion 14 and the second connecting portion 24. The connection part 24 is prevented from being electrically short-circuited. The insulating layer 30 is formed of a transparent insulating material that can insulate the first connecting part 14 and the second connecting part 24. For example, the insulating layer 30 may be made of a metal oxide such as silicon oxide or a resin such as acrylic.

  The first wiring 40 and the second wiring 50 are formed of various materials that can apply an electric signal to each of the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20. The first wiring 40 and the second wiring 50 may be made of a material having excellent electrical conductivity, for example, a metal.

  The protective member 120 is positioned while covering the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20, the insulating layer 30, and the first wiring 40 and the second wiring 50. The protection member 120 may be formed of various materials capable of protecting the first electrode 10, the second electrode 20, and the insulating layer 30, and the embodiment is not limited thereto. .

  When an input device such as a finger is brought into contact with such a touch panel 100, a difference in electrostatic capacitance is generated at a portion where the input device is touched, and the portion where the difference is generated can be detected as a contact position.

  In the touch panel 100 as described above, the resistances of the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 can be lowered by including the first connection part 14 and the second connection part 24 having relatively small resistance. Thereby, the electrical stability and touch sensitivity of the touch panel 100 can be improved.

  Hereinafter, the touch panel according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. For the sake of clear and simple description, detailed description of the same or similar parts as those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 3, the touch panel 200 according to the second embodiment may include a second connection part 24, and the second connection part 24 may include a nanowire 24a. At this time, the nanowires 24a can be connected to each other by a binder (not shown: the same applies hereinafter). When the second connection part 24 includes the nanowire 24a, the second connection part 24 can have high optical characteristics and electrical characteristics. That is, the transparency and transparency of the touch panel can be increased and the resistance can be reduced.

  The embodiment is not limited to this, and the second connection part 24 may include a carbon nanotube. At this time, the carbon nanotubes can be connected to each other by a binder.

  Hereinafter, the touch panel according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the touch panel 300 according to the third embodiment includes a second connection unit 24, and the second connection unit 24 includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, nanowires, and conductive polymers. Can be included.

  Specifically, the nanowires 24b can be dispersed in the conductive polymer 24c in the second connection part 24. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the carbon nanotubes can be dispersed in the conductive polymer instead of the nanowires.

  Hereinafter, a manufacturing method of the touch panel according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  5 to 8 are a plan view and a cross-sectional view for explaining the manufacturing method of the touch panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, (a) is a plan view showing the first electrode 10, the second electrode 20, and the insulating layer 30 with reference to the region A in FIG. 1, and (b) is a BB line in (a). A reference cross-sectional view is shown.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of first sensor parts 12 and a plurality of second sensor parts 22 are formed on a substrate 110 with a transparent conductive material. Various materials such as indium tin oxide and indium zinc oxide can be used as the transparent conductive material. The plurality of first sensor units 12 and second sensor units 22 are formed by depositing a transparent conductive material, for example, vacuum deposition.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the first conductive portion 14 that connects the first sensor portion 12 is formed by printing the transparent conductive composition.

  At this time, the transparent conductive composition may be an ink including a transparent conductive material. Such a transparent conductive composition may include a transparent conductive material, a binder, a dispersant, an additive, and the like. Various known substances can be used for the binder, the dispersant, and the additive.

  Thus, since the 1st connection part 14 is formed in a process different from the 1st sensor part 12, the 1st connection part 14 can be formed so that it may have resistance lower than the 1st sensor part 12. For this purpose, the first connecting part 14 is formed to be thicker than the first sensor part 12, or the constituent material (that is, the transparent conductive composition) of the first connecting part 14 is carbon nanotube, nanowire, conductive polymer, or the like. Can be added.

  Conventionally, after depositing a transparent conductive material, patterning is performed using an exposure / development / etching process to form the first connection part 14, but the process is complicated, but in this embodiment, the first connection part 14 is formed. Since it forms by a one-step printing process, the 1st connection part 14 can be formed by a simple process. In particular, since the printing process is advantageous for forming the rear film, it is more advantageous when the first connecting portion 14 is formed thicker than the first sensor portion 12.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 7, an insulating layer 30 including an insulating material is formed on the first connection portion 14. At this time, the insulating layer 30 can be formed by a printing process using a resin. Thus, if the insulating layer 30 is formed by the printing process using resin, since the insulation resistance of the insulating layer 30 can be improved, the reliability of the touch panel 100 can be improved. For example, the insulating layer 30 may have a resistance of about 60 GΩ.

  The insulating layer 30 is formed with a thickness (T3) of 0.1 μm to 100 μm. The thickness (T3) of the insulating layer 30 may change in consideration of the printing characteristics of the second connecting portion (reference numeral 24 in FIG. 8) to be formed later. When the thickness (T3) of the insulating layer 30 is 0.1 μm or less, it may be difficult to play the role of insulating the first connecting portion 14 and the second connecting portion 24. Moreover, when the thickness (T3) of the insulating layer 30 exceeds 100 μm, the thickness of the touch panel may increase.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the transparent conductive composition is printed to form the second connection part 24 that connects the second sensor part 22 on the insulating layer 30.

  At this time, the transparent conductive composition may be an ink including a transparent conductive material. Such a transparent conductive composition can be added with a transparent conductive material, a binder, a dispersant, an additive and the like. Various known substances can be used for the binder, the dispersant, and the additive.

  In one example, the transparent conductive composition may be an ink including nanowires, a solvent, and a binder. At this time, such an ink can be printed by an ink-jet method. Inkjet is a method of printing by jetting in from a thin nozzle. After spraying in, the solvent can be evaporated and curing can proceed. Printing can be performed by repeating such steps.

  Accordingly, the final material forming the second connection part 24 may be a nanowire and a binder. The touch panel 200 shown in FIG. 3 can be manufactured by printing in this manner. At this time, carbon nanotubes can be used instead of nanowires.

  In yet another example, the transparent conductive composition may be a paste including nanowires and a conductive polymer. That is, the transparent conductive composition may be a paste in which nanowires are dispersed in a conductive polymer. At this time, the paste can be printed by an offset (off-set) or screen printing method. In offset printing, paste is filled in a concave plate on which a pattern is engraved, and then primary transfer is performed with silicon rubber called a blanket, and the blanket and a substrate on which a conductive film is formed are brought into close contact with each other. This can be accomplished by the next transfer method. Screen printing can be performed by positioning the paste on a screen having a pattern, and then pressing the squeeze and directly positioning the paste on the substrate on which the conductive film is formed through the screen having a space.

  Accordingly, the second connection part 24 may include nanowires dispersed in the conductive polymer. The touch panel 300 shown in FIG. 4 can be manufactured by printing in this manner. At this time, carbon nanotubes can be used instead of nanowires.

  However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and it is needless to say that the second connecting portion 24 can be formed by various printing methods.

  Thus, since the 2nd connection part 24 is formed by a process different from the 2nd sensor part 22, the 2nd connection part 24 can be formed so that it may have resistance lower than the 2nd sensor part 22. For this purpose, the second connecting part 24 is formed thicker than the second sensor part 22, or carbon nanotubes, nanowires, conductive polymers, etc. are used as the constituent material of the second connecting part 24 (that is, the transparent conductive composition). Can be added.

  Conventionally, since the second connecting portion 24 is formed by patterning after depositing a transparent conductive material, the process is complicated, but in the present embodiment, the second connecting portion 24 is formed by a printing process. The two connecting portions 24 can be formed by a simple process. In particular, since the printing process is advantageous for forming the rear film, it is more advantageous when the second connecting portion 24 is formed thicker than the second sensor portion 22.

  The width (W1) of the second connecting portion 24 is formed to be narrower than the width (W2) of the insulating layer 30. Specifically, the width (W1) of the second connection part 24 may be 1% to 99% of the width (W2) of the insulating layer 30. Therefore, the electrical short circuit with the 1st connection part 14 and the 2nd connection part 24 can be prevented.

  Next, the touch panel of FIG. 2 can be manufactured by forming the protective member 120.

  In the present embodiment, the first connecting part 14, the insulating layer 30, and the second connecting part 24 that are sequentially formed can be formed by a printing process to make the touch panel easier to manufacture.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 9 thru | or FIG. 11, the manufacturing method of the touchscreen according to 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated.

  9 to 11 are a plan view and a cross-sectional view for explaining a touch panel manufacturing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of first sensor units 12, a first connection unit 14 that connects the first sensor units 12, and a plurality of second sensor units 22 can be formed on the substrate 110. . That is, the first connection part 14 is not formed separately, but is formed as a pattern connected to the first sensor part 12. Through this, the number of processes can be reduced, and the process time can be reduced.

  Next, referring to FIG. 10, the insulating layer 30 may be formed on the first connection part 14.

  Next, referring to FIG. 11, the second connection part 24 that connects the second sensor part 22 may be formed on the insulating layer 30.

Claims (17)

A substrate,
A first electrode formed on the substrate, formed in a first direction, including a plurality of sensor units, and a coupling unit coupling the plurality of sensor units;
A second electrode that is formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction while being insulated from the first electrode, and includes a plurality of sensor units, and a connecting unit that connects the plurality of sensor units,
The sensor unit and the connection unit include a transparent conductive material,
In at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode, a resistance of the connecting portion is smaller than a resistance of the sensor portion.   The at least one connection part of the first electrode and the second electrode includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, nanowires, and conductive polymers. Item 10. The touch panel according to item 1.   The touch panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has a thicker connecting part than the sensor part.   The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has a thickness of the connection part that is 1.5 to 10 times a thickness of the sensor part. The touch panel described.   The touch panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes at least one selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, carbon nanotube, silver nanowire, and conductive polymer. A substrate,
A first electrode formed on the substrate, formed in a first direction, including a plurality of sensor units, and a coupling unit coupling the plurality of sensor units;
A second electrode that is formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction while being insulated from the first electrode, and includes a plurality of sensor units, and a connecting unit that connects the plurality of sensor units,
The touch panel, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, nanowires, and conductive polymers. .   The touch panel as set forth in claim 6, wherein the connection part of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes carbon nanotubes or nanowires dispersed in a conductive polymer. Forming a plurality of first sensor portions and a plurality of second sensor portions on a substrate with a transparent conductive material;
Printing a transparent conductive composition on the substrate to form a first connecting part that connects the plurality of first sensor parts;
Forming an insulating layer including an insulating material on the first connection part;
Forming a second connection part connecting the plurality of second sensor parts with a transparent conductive composition on the insulating layer;
A method for manufacturing a touch panel, comprising:   The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the step of forming the insulating layer includes printing the insulating material.   9. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 8, wherein in the step of forming the insulating layer, the insulating layer is formed with a thickness of 0.1 to 100 [mu] m.   The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the step of forming the second connection part is performed by printing the transparent conductive composition.   The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein a width of the second connection part is 1% to 99% of a width of the insulating layer.   The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has a resistance of the connecting portion smaller than a resistance of the sensor portion.   The at least one connection part of the first electrode and the second electrode includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, nanowires, and conductive polymers. Item 14. A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to Item 13.   The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is such that the connection part is thicker than the sensor part. Forming a plurality of first sensor parts, a plurality of second sensor parts, and a first connection part for connecting the plurality of first sensor parts on a substrate with a transparent conductive material;
Printing an insulating material on the first connection part to form an insulating layer;
Forming a second connection part connecting the plurality of second sensor parts with a transparent conductive composition on the insulating layer;
A method for manufacturing a touch panel, comprising:   The method of claim 16, wherein the step of forming the second connection part is performed by printing the transparent conductive composition.

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